Even after they’ve been repealed, mandatory helmet laws discourage cycling

We all know that mandatory helmet laws discourage cycling. But even after such laws are repealed, the effects can linger:

The city of Dallas has decided that Edward Adkins doesn’t need a bicycle helmet or a bogus fine and arrest warrant hanging over his head.

Adkins received a $10 ticket for failing to wear a bicycle helmet in September 2014, even though the Dallas City Council had changed the city’s safety ordinance months earlier to only apply to minors. Adkins said he couldn’t afford the ticket, which caused the fine to balloon to $259 and turn into a warrant for his arrest.

Adkins said he didn’t show up to court because he didn’t have the money to pay and thought he was guilty. He didn’t know the law didn’t require him to wear a helmet until a reporter told him.

He ended up giving away his bicycle because he didn’t want to pay for a helmet.